He reports a study by academics Daniel Kahnemanand David Schkade. They asked university students in 2 US locations – midwest and California – where they think “someone like themselves would be happier.” Both picked California, mostly because of the weather.

But, say the authors, you’re doing a lot of the same things in both places: grocery shopping, chores and work.

True.

But grocery shopping feels different here at the Metropolitan Market or Trader Joe’s, as compared to a Safeway or Albertson’s that’s the only game in town.

And chores actually vary. When I lived in a house, my chores were quite different. In a smaller town, or certain regions of the country (or world), you may trouble hiring services to meet your specific needs. In the US, many large cities feature services on craigslist.com — affordable and accessible.

Sometimes the geographic cure really works. Sometimes the grass really is greener…literally and metaphorically.